Process of and apparatus for distilling oils



May 18 192e. 1,535,224

PROCESS 0F AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING OILS c. M. ALEXANDER Filed Oct. ,c3l 191g S14/venice;

Patented May 18, 1.926.

uNiTED l'STAPISS-,

1,585,224 PATENT oFFicE.

cuve noms ami-.morales .New Yoax, any, raoonss or aim Pensamos ron ni'siiimmd 'n1-m,

appiicauon inea vergini- ,1019.- B'e'rlalfln. 329,824.

This invention relates to a process'frdis tilling oil,rand comprises a method ifef-VM fecting a high degree of vaporizat'ion at a comparatively 10W tmffklf Wlsn all... oil to be kcozaplately orrparaally vfaprzegj is continuously transmitted through an'ex? ternallyfflieated retort orcoil' of pipe and during transmission ,is contacted with steam at a number of points `iivherebyfoam orijlms tion of elements including a length or coil of ipe, means fqrintr'odiicing steam at s evera points into the pipe, means for heating the pipe oi' coil externally, and a separating chamber.

In resent day practice oils are vaporized l in'stil s by the use of tire, steam, or eombinaf tions of the two. Light oils are vaporized with tire heating or steam heating,which ever may be desired. For. crude oils or heavy oils, vaporization is generally el'ected by a combination of fire and steam, wherein the fire acts as an external heating steam being injected into the oi carryin agent.

In al these methods the oil vapors are removed from the liquid oil immediately the are formed. This procedure is wasteful of uel and uneconomical quantities of steam are required for the vaporization of heavy distillates, due to the very low'vapor tension of these heavy fractions. Where the heavy fractions from MeXicamCalifornia, or Gulf Coastal crudes are to be va rized, high temperatures and large quantities of steam are required. If these heavy fractions are desired it is almost im ssible to vaporize them without partial ecomposition, which decomposition is to be avoided where heavy distillates are to be obtained for making lubricating oils. This is pecially true with asphalt base oils, a natural nndecomposed distillate being desired. Deoom osition causes the formation` of unsaturatec bodies which render treating operations very dilii cult to obtain test oils. Furthermore, these test oils, when the decomposition products are not removed, chan e on standing, due to .polymerization or oxi ation.

When oils are distilled under conditions acting as a agent, the` wherebyV cracking decoinpezjisition results in the formation of,Y unsaturatedfbod-iesthcse oils present fdiilcfulties in treatin' "owing to emulsionformilt-ion. 'This emulsion forma- 00 tion "is largely diiefffto iia lithiii'cf acids formed by air oxidation 'o' V:the oil While" standing in tanks rby acidonida'tiddir ing treating 'in agitators. "Byidi'stlliiig oil under iion-crackin`g conditiosas described 65 in this improved process, the'forinatioii of emulsiying bodies iseliininated and nonemulsifying lubricating oils ob'- tiiined.

In the presentinveiition I charge the oil 70 l continuously' into an Aexternally heated length or .coilof-'pi Ye. and inject steam intoy contact with the oi :at aiiuinber 'of points along rits coi'irsef/travel during heating,

thereby vcausing'affoiim or film e ect and so 176 maintain all the liquid and vafpo liases in intimate contact up to the point of ischar'ge into theseparating chamber. Since all the phases are kept in intimate contact up to the/desiredAj vapor'ization the mean vapor 80.

tension elect is utilized and as a res-ulta higher degree of vaporization than' canjbe obtained y present methods at"V the same temperature 'with aii equal quantity of steam,

is accomplished. Vaporization in a still, 86

`wherein the vapors are continuously removed `as formed, utilizes only the fractional vapor tenson, i; e., the liquid hase is in equilibrium with only the vapor ases in intimate contact therewith. By this new so method, vaporization is effected as a whole followed'by fractionation through condensation whereas in l'present day practice fractionationA is effected through vaporiz'ation.

In atypical example of this process Mexican crude or say 20 B. gravity is charged continuously intofthe coil or len h of ipe, fire heated from the outside. t has een found best not to inject steam into the oil before a point rWhere the oil has reached a ico temperature of at least 250 F. and in some cases',.depending on the `oil and products desired, it is not necessary to contact the oil with steam before it has reached a temperature of 300 to 400 F. Heating the oil men# los 'phase after separating and cooling. No desition of the oil results under these iio coin con itioris. If it were desired to obtain such a high degree of vaporization in an ordinary f the uncon ensed vapors ,forcontactin witlV still an unecon'omal quantity ilof steam would be ulred and also 1t.`would vbe neceary to eat the oil to a temperature of 700 F. or more 4unilerwhich? condition much decomposition ,would result. With California crudos from whichhavy ltvbrieating distilates'are desired this method of vaporization throu h the use of the mean vapor tension is a vantasgeous and efectivo, f

in avoidin decomposition. A

Aften. e .desired vaporizatio'n .has been attained through rraisins the tem rature while maintaining the., liquid an 'ya rV phases in intimate @nigga the .whole is ischargedinto .a separating f chamber, 'where' the oil :heated in the neigt fo owing unit'. Fon example, the crude oil' to be vaporizied4 is heated tothe desired tem erature4 while contacting with steam. l, e vapors of oil andwater comi from the separa rare subjected to partla ycooling Such-that only the heavy fractions are condensed. The light oilfractions and water which still remain the vapor lstate are Y conducted '-'totheneit unit where they take the place of;.fresh steam and are contacted with fresh crude being heated therein.

The mean vapor tension effect is present in this case as before but it is vgreater on account of the greater conoentrationof light fractions. Since the me'an vapor tension is greater the temperatures required for an equal vaporizaton in eachsuccessive unit are respectively lower.- The lower the temperature necessary to effect the desired 'vaporization the greater the fuel economyf and the less the decomposition.

Another great advantage in working several units together is the economy in steam since steam addition tothe first unit only is necessary. It also works wellA to do without the steam and contact with light oil vapors only but4v not quite so eiective. By so doing, it is neceary to run one unit without a contacting medium in order to produce light oil vaporsfor .the following units. i

The accompanying drawing illustrates one form of apparatus, for carrying out my invention.

Referring now to the drawing, 1 indicates a tire box, from which the gases pass condensation message Weill Chemie '2, sind 4 dessen by walls" and partitions 5, l'nally escaping throu h the opening 6. The pas- 2,'3 an may be made vZgZILg'BS shown. Thegases pass from the passage 3 to' theA passage 4 through. the opening 7. It 1s apparent that any number of such fire passages maybe used, as desired.

Arranged to pass through the passages t and 3,r is a length of pipe, one part of which, numbered l8, passes downwardly through the passage 4;, thence by a short con. nectiug4 piece l9 it 1s connected to a portion 111 'assag'e 3: .e

assing upwardly throu' h the f Yis described length 0g ipe ol-'ms substantiallytan elongated stil y The oil to be distilled is charged into this still from the charging line 11.4

n shoulabe noname the het' gases pass,

in onefdxrection, while the oil Hows in the op site direction. i'

rteam 1s injected into the einen puirality of points, preferably intliat part of the still in which theV oil-s hottest, thatis to` say in the portion 10 of the still. This steam injecting means comprises a pi 12' osi'- tioned on the inside of thesti '10 w 'ch pipe is provided 'with a plurality of steam discharge openings 13. Steam 1s fed into the pipe 12 from the steam line 14.

Injectin steam by means of the apparatus shown vio ently agitates the oil and brings the liquid and vapor phases thexeof into very intimate contactwhereby the vaporization of the' crude oil takes place very ra idly.

Vl11le the Sections of pipe forming the still are here shown as vertical and the fire.

passages also as vertical, it should be under- 'stood that the invention is not lvilijnited;

The apparatus 'is so designed that the perature of the oil in the branch 10 fof thestill where it comes in contact with the-steam. is somewhere between 25,0and 625 F.`d8-

riding on the nature of the crude oililgeing distilled and on the amount of vaporilition desired. Branch 10 of the still is to a separator 15 of any desireddesign, which may be of the centriu al type and which removes the tar from t e distillate. The vapors from the separator 15 are led through a pipe 16 into the usual fraction atin towers 17, from the bottom of which the eavy distillates may be collected and from which the light distillate va rs are led through a pipe 18. These light istillate `vapors may be collected in a condenser 19 Vthan through the insee,

hand side of the'drawng and the correspending partsof the two stills are indicated by corresponding reference characters. j

` In the second still the oil vapors from the fractionating towers of the first still are discharged from the pipe 2O into a pipe 12 and thence through openings 1 3' into the oil within the branch 10 of the still, whereby the oil in that branch is strongly agitated and the liquid and vapor phases thereof brought into'intiniate contact.' s y I In other words, the injection of 'th`e oil and steam va or into the second still `takes the place of t e injection of steam into the first still. If desired, however, steam from a steam line 14 may be assed into' the .pipe 12 and thence into t e oil as` inethe rst still, but usually this iinot necessary. -The light distillate va ors leav the fractionating towers 17.0 the secon still may be led to a third unit, not shown, where those vapors may be injected into the oil still in precisely the same manner that the light distillateY vapors of the I irst still are used in the apparatus shown in F1 re 2. The separators l5 malbeprovided .with tar removal means 21. e ractionatingtowers may be provided with heavy. distillate collecting means 22. Valves 1n the various pi es are indicated at 23.

he form of still shown may, of course, be varied widely. within the scope of this invention. It should be understood that the invention may be modified in its various details as defined in the following claims.

It will be understood that the preliminary heating of the oil or a art 'ofnsaid preliminary heating contemp ated `by the present invention may take .place prior to its admission into the pipe system I 9, 10, `and that steam may be introduce otherwise articular perforated pipe shown, provided tiiat it is admitted in auch a way as to subserve its function of sullicientl agitating the oil and rovidedfurther` tiiat the liquid and vapor p ases are brought `into intimate contact and maintained in auch contact up to the maximum temperature em,- ploy'd.

I claim:

1. A process for non-destructive distilla-J tion of hydrocarbon oil comprising passing the oil in one direction through a zone where it is heated, injecting steam into the oil, at a plurality of points along its passage throu h said zone and causing same to How theretiirough concurrently with the oil,

maintaining the liquid and vaporphasespresent in intimate contact up to the point of separation, so as to raise the mean vapor tension, and separating the lighter and heavier fractions by fractional condensation.

Q. A rocess for non-destructive distillation of ydrocarbon oil comprising passing the oil in one direction through a narrow 'cause foaming and agitation of the oil and Irating the lighter and elongated still while being subjected to heat, injecting steam into the oil at a plurality ofpoints along its passage through-said elongated still to cause foaming and agitationof the o'il and causing said steam to flow through said elongated still concurrently with the oil whereby the liquid and vapor phases are maintained in intimate contact while passing therethrough, and the mean vapor tension raised, and separating the vapors by fractional condensation.

' 3. A recess foi; non-destructive' distillation of i ydrocarbon oil comprising passing it'in one'direction through a narrow'elongated still while being subjected to heat, injecting oil va or from a previous distilling operation luto the oil at a plurality of .points alongY its-pgsaage throu h said elongated still to cause foaming an agita'- tion of the oil. and causing said oil vapor to fiow through said elongated still concurrently with the oil, whereby the liquid and vapor phases are maintained in intimate contact and the mean vapor tension raised, and separating the vaporsby fractional condensation.

4. A process for non-destructive distillm tion of hydrocarbon oil, comprisin preliminarily heating the oil,lpassing it xrough a narrow elongated still while being subjected to further heating, injecting oil vapor from a previous distilling operation and steam into the oil ata pluralit of points while/it in passing through sai elongated still to concurrent flow of the liquid and vapor phases whereby the liquid and vapor phases are maintained in intimate contact while passing through said still and the mean vapor tension raised, and separating the vapors by fractional condensation.Y

5. A. recess for non-,destructive distillation ofdrocarbon oil, comprising heating the oil, injecting vapor into said oil at a lurality of places, maintainin concurrent ow of the liquid and vapor p ases, whereby tol agitato said oil, keepi the liquid and vapor phases thereof in mtimate contact so as to raise the mean 'va or tension, sepaeavier fractions, and lead' Vthe lighter fractions to a second body ofvoi that is being heated and injecting said hter fractions into said second body of oi, so as to agitato it and keep the liquid and vapor phases thereof-in intimate contact and so raise the mean vapor tension.

6. A process of non-destructive d-istillation of h drQcarbon oil, comprisi heating the oi injecting steam into sai oil at 1u a plurality of places, maintaining concurrent flow of the liquid and vapor phases, whereby to agitato said oil, keeping the liquid and vapor phases thereof in intimate contact so as to raise the mean vapor ten- 1D0 i'io 'iso

sion, separating the lighterfand heavier fractions, and e A to a second body of oil that 1s being heated and injecting said lighter fractions intosaid second body of oil, so asto agitata it and keep the liquid and vapor phases thereof in intimate contact and so raise the mean va or tension.

A process for non-destructive distillation of hydrocarbon oil, comprising heating the oil, ing'ecting vapor into said oil at a plurality o places in concurrent dow, whereby to agitate said oil and keep the liquid and vapor phases thereof in intimate contact, separating the lighter and heavier fractions, and leading the lighter fractions to a second body of oil that has been preliminarily heated and injecting said lighter fractions into said se'concl body of oil while it is subjected to further heating.

8. A process for non-destructive distillation of hydrocarbon oil, comprising heat: ing the oil, injecting steam into the oil at a plurality of points during the heating, maintaining concurrent flow of the liquid and vapor phases during said heating whereby to agitate said oil and keep the liquid and vapor phases thereof in intimate contact, Se arnting the fractions, conductv ing the ligiter fractions, while still in the va or state, to a second body ofgoil that is being heated and injecting said 'vaporized li hter fractions into said second body of oi maintaining concurrent flow ofthe liquid ading the lighter fractionssecond 'body Luanne' andr va or phases, whereby to a itate said second ody of oil and keep the liquid and vapor4 phases thereof in intimate contact, and-coll'ectiingfthe1 fractions from the said 9; an apparatus of the character described, an eongated still through which oil is passednin one direction, means to heat said still ezrternally, means to inject vapor into the oil at. a lurality of points along its passage throug said still to flow therethrough concurrently with the oil, whereby the oil is agitated and the liquid and vaporphases maintained in intimate contact thereby raising the mean va r tension, and means to collect the dist lates.

In vapparatus of the character dea 'stilhl means to heat said still, means to inject Avapor into theroil in said still' whereby to, agitate the oil and bring the liquid and vapor` phases .thereof into intimateA contact, means to separate the lighter from `the heavier distillates, a second still, means to heat said second still, means to lead the4 lighter distillate from the first still and in'ec't it into the oil in the second still, whereby to agitate this oil -and bring the liquid and vapor phases thereof into intimate contact, and means to collect the distillate from the second still.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

CLIVE MORRIS ALEXANDER.

intimate contact and so raise the mean va or tension.

A process for non-destructive distillation of hydrocarbon oil, comprisinr heating the oil, in'ecting vapor into saidl cil at a plurality o places 1n concurrent flow, whereby to agitato said oil and keep the liquid and vapor phases thereof in intimate contact, separatin the lighter and heavier fractions, and lea ing the lighter fractions to a second body of oil that has been preliminarily heated and in'ecting said lighter fractions into said se'cond body of oil while it is subjected to further heating.

8. A process for non-destructive distillation of hydrocarbon oil, comprising heatf ing the 011, injecting steam into the oil at a plurality of points during the heatingq maintaining concurrent flow of the liquid and vapor 'phases during said heating whereby 1to agitate said oil and keep the liquid and vapor phases thereof in intimate contact, se arating the fractions, conducting the lig iter fractions, while still in the vapor state, to a second body of Poil that is being heated and injecting said 'vaporized li hter fractions into said second body of oi maintaining concurrent` flow ofthe liquid ading tie lighter fractions` heated' Lacasse second 'body of oil.

9'.' `In an a paratus of the character described, an eongated still through which oil is passed in one direction, means to heat said still externally, means to inject vapor into the oil at, a pllurality of points along its passage throug said still to flow therethrough concurrently with the oil, whereby the oil is agitated and the liquid and vapor phases maintained in intimate contact thereby raising the mean va or tension, and means to collect the disti lates.

10. In apparatus of the character described, a still, vmeans to heat said still,

means to inject Avapor into the oil in said still whereby to agitat'e the oil and bring the liquid and vapor phases thereof into intimate contact, means to separate the li hter from the heavier distillates, a second still, means to heat said second still, means to lead the lighter distillate from the first still and inject it into the oil in the second still, whereby to agitate this oil and bring the liquid and vapor phases thereof into intimate contact, and means to collect the distillate from the second still.

In testimony whereof I atlx -my signature.

OLIVE MORRIS ALEXANDER.

A:nachmMizee.

ttsamawmmvm anemia,

y Foa Drs'rninme OILS.

1928, bythe patentee.

Hereby-enters this disclaimer to the said specification excepting when the Patent dated May I8,

New York, N. Y. .laoonsatortmo Arraaarus 1926. Disclaimer tiledJune 28,

subjectmatter of claims 3,15, and-@Kef `the oil and vapor are V'maintained`anliapt fn intimate contact throughout their concurrent How `While being subjected to heat br* what being hema- [0M Gazemuuzy 1r, 1928.1

.intimate contact 'throughout th concurrntfiow while being subieeted theat 'o'r- 'wlnle being. heatdzl 

